[drpeeb]

Rear bumper replacement ... Easy?

My '05 KC got tagged by some lady not looking where she was going, left rear corner. I got a cheap body repair done, which looks pretty decent, and to keep the price down I just asked them to pull the bumper out enough to repair the body, thinking that'd look good enough. Well, the chrome is pretty wavy and doesn't look so hot, so now I'm thinking I might be able to replace it myself.

So the question: Is replacing the rear bumper a reasonable job? Mine has the rear sensors. Is it connected to the air bags?

Found this eBay replacement bumper with for $255: Step Bumper For 2004-2014 Nissan Titan Chrome Steel W/ brackets w/ pads | eBay

... or this one for $159 for just the bumper: http://www.ebay.com/itm/282614566555

Might be junk compared to OEM, not sure, but bound to look better. And I don't need it to last forever, maybe another year or so.

Thanks all.

 

[Ed270]

Easy. I pulled mine off to bedline . The hardest part was getting the step pads off .


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[TitanBlue]

Rear Sensors are for backing up, no relation to Impact and Air bags.

 

[drpeeb]

Re: Rear bumper replacement ... Easy?

OK thanks guys, I'll give it a go.

 

[jdmartin]

I think it's not too easy. The rear step pads are tough to get off and I've got a carriage bolt that spins so I can't even back the nut off. I've got a new bumper sitting in a box that has been in the box for 2 years until I ever get around to bringing this to someone and letting them do it. I soaked everything in PB blaster first, btw.

 

[drpeeb]

Re: Rear bumper replacement ... Easy?

jd - OK maybe that supports my thinking on buying the $255 bumper full kit then. The shop I got to repair the corner over-sprayed quite a bit of silver paint onto the step pad, plus the step pad's tabs at the damaged corner seem to be broken off causing the pad to be almost flopping around; I can lift it right up. So hopefully buying the full kit would limit my problems to just the possibility of the spinning carriage bolt.

BTW does that mean on yours the hole the carriage bolt goes thru is rusted? I would've thought the hole would be square to seat the carriage bolt ... ?

Tks.

 

[FishnAlaska]

hope you have an impact wrench, its an easy swap if you can get the bolts out...

 

[drpeeb]

Re: Rear bumper replacement ... Easy?

hope you have an impact wrench, its an easy swap if you can get the bolts out...

Drat, well, I have this Ryobi 18V cordless impact driver, but I assume you're gonna tell me it's a child's toy compared to what I actually need?




(ps that damn typo in the title! Rea ... I can't fix it)

 

[FishnAlaska]

I bought a cheap electric impact wrench a few years ago, it was like $60-70, makes doing everything a ton easier - tire rotations, swapping out suspension parts, replacing bumpers....

 

[jdmartin]

I'm not sure why it spins. I assume either the shoulder on the bolt has rounded off or the bumper slot has wallowed out. It was months ago that I gave it a good try one Saturday and just gave up at the spinning bolt problem.

jd - OK maybe that supports my thinking on buying the $255 bumper full kit then. The shop I got to repair the corner over-sprayed quite a bit of silver paint onto the step pad, plus the step pad's tabs at the damaged corner seem to be broken off causing the pad to be almost flopping around; I can lift it right up. So hopefully buying the full kit would limit my problems to just the possibility of the spinning carriage bolt.

BTW does that mean on yours the hole the carriage bolt goes thru is rusted? I would've thought the hole would be square to seat the carriage bolt ... ?

Tks.

 

[Buford T Titan]

Moving this back up top because I am in the middle of switching out my rear bumper and the dreaded "carriage bolt is spinning" problem has sprung up. Anyone have a quick fix because the bolts are rusted and PB Baster isn't helping? Or, do I cut them off with a grinder and purchase new ones?

 

[Buford T Titan]

I cut off two bolts with the grinder and called it a day (mainly because the wife had to take the kids to a birthday party and I have no way to buy more blades). Typical crap with a salty truck that is rusted through and through. A two hour job takes two days.

 

[Buford T Titan]

I purchased a 4 1/2" diamond blade for my trusty $15 Harbor Freight grinder this morning and about an hour later, I had the remaining 4 bolts cut off. Cleaned up the bumper frame and hitch and then hit it with Rustoleum bed liner to match the bumper and put it all back together again with new carriage bolts (that are the right size this time). The final verdict is that if you have a salty truck where everything is rusted, replacing the rear bumper (let alone anything) is NOT easy. Otherwise, I bet it wouldn't take but an hour or two to knock it out. Front bumper and grill next.

 

[jdmartin]

I purchased a 4 1/2" diamond blade for my trusty $15 Harbor Freight grinder this morning and about an hour later, I had the remaining 4 bolts cut off. Cleaned up the bumper frame and hitch and then hit it with Rustoleum bed liner to match the bumper and put it all back together again with new carriage bolts (that are the right size this time). The final verdict is that if you have a salty truck where everything is rusted, replacing the rear bumper (let alone anything) is NOT easy. Otherwise, I bet it wouldn't take but an hour or two to knock it out. Front bumper and grill next.

What bolts did you cut off, and what bolts did you use to replace them? I seriously need to do mine - I still have the new one sitting in the box, now 3 years later!

 

[Buford T Titan]

What bolts did you cut off, and what bolts did you use to replace them? I seriously need to do mine - I still have the new one sitting in the box, now 3 years later!

There are 6 carriage bolts that attach the bumper to the rear bumper reinforcement and I had to saw off every one of them because they just spun due to rust and being undersized. It is easier to cut off the nut rather than the carriage bolt head but you don't have a choice on the two on the bottom of the bumper. I used a grinder and a diamond blade to chop them off and then purchased 8 carriage bolts for the new bumper from HomeDepot (Everbuilt Zinc-Plated 1/2 x 1 1/2). I had to use a flat washer and a locking washer to seat the bolt properly.

REAR BUMPER ASSEMBLY


UNDERSIDE (note flat washer and locking washer)

 

[jdmartin]

I'm assuming those are the ones labeled #7 in the drawing? Those are the ones that just spin on me as well. Thanks for the bolt sizes, maybe this coming 4 day I can get this rear bumper finally replaced!

 

[jdmartin]

Well, I'm going to add to this thread rather than start another one since I've already posted in here.

My attempt to pull the bumper bolts was a total bust. The carriage bolts that hold the bumper cover to the bumper itself just spin in a circle. So I had to start cutting them off. Well, on cut #4 the grinder jumped up and cut a nice slot through the middle of my knuckle :rofl::flame: , and of course last thing my wife said as I headed downstairs was "don't get hurt" :laugh: . Thought I might need stitches but the bleeding finally stopped a couple hours later (it just wept). So for now I have a rusted out bumper hull sitting on my patio with 3 bolt heads cut off. I'm contemplating just buying a new bumper bracket, which is only about $125 or so, because I'm wondering if the holes on the bumper bracket are going to be wallowed out too - or is it just the holes on the bumper cover that are square to hold the carriage bolt in place?

 

[jdmartin]

OK, well to continue to update: I decided against buying the replacement bumper bracket. Cheapest I could find was about $140 or so shipped to me. I don't think it will take me longer than an hour to cut off the rest of the old bolts, so that's a pretty steep price to pay to save a little bit of work. I looked at it and the only square holes are on the bumper cover itself, not the bumper bracket. So it doesn't matter if your bumper cover holes wallow out, the holes on the bumper bracket are just round ones. So, hopefully this weekend, I'll get the last bolts ground off and be able to clean up and repaint the bumper bracket.

Looking at it, it seems like it will be easiest to put the chrome bumper cover back on once the bracket is hanging from the truck - those of you who've replaced it, is this how you did it?

 

[FishnAlaska]

I think I put it on the brackets first, then the whole assembly to the frame. If I remember it was harder to get to the bolts on the bumper once it was on the truck due to the hitch and easier to bolt it to the brackets off of the truck.

 

[jdmartin]

You may be right. I think what I will do is look at the old one sitting here and how it would be if it was on the truck before I start. Or I could also put the cover on with 2 bolts and loose bolt it to the truck with 2 bolts and see how hard it will be to do the rest. I'm a little concerned that I might scratch up the cover trying to do the whole thing on the ground.

I think I put it on the brackets first, then the whole assembly to the frame. If I remember it was harder to get to the bolts on the bumper once it was on the truck due to the hitch and easier to bolt it to the brackets off of the truck.